Watkins In Camp; Eagles First-Round Pick Inks Deal to Show Up and Compete

The Eagles have been crazy in free agency, but that didn’t stop them from taking care of their first-round pick, as Danny Watkins inked his rookie deal with the Eagles Monday. The total value of the deal is worth a little less than $7.9 million, an NFL source said.

“This is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. That’s for sure,” Watkins said after he and the Eagles agreed to a four-year contract on Monday. “Ever since I got in Philly I’ve been chomping at the bit to get in.”

Watkins’ agent, Joe Panos, wanted all four years of the contract guaranteed. The guard ended up getting three. “I don’t know much about the business aspect of football,” Watkins said. “I trust [Panos], and I left it in his hands. He asked me if I was OK with it, and I said, ‘Yeah, ‘I’d like to get in there.’ ”

The Eagles new weapon was at Lehigh University on Monday night after the deal was wrapped up, five days into camp. He will be able to practice on Wednesday. “I got to come in and compete,” Watkins said.